The body of Kalimpong deputy magistrate and deputy collector Shreeman Mukhopadhyay was recovered from the Teesta river after he had been missing for six days, prompting a police investigation and questions over how the search for a serving state civil service officer was handled.
Mukhopadhyay, a 2015 West Bengal Civil Service officer who ranked 15th in the state civil service examination, had been untraceable since 5 November, according to a report by Anandabazar. His mobile phone was found at his residence in Kalimpong, while colleagues were unable to contact or locate him.
The body was recovered from the Teesta on Wednesday. Mukhopadhyay’s wife and two daughters were informed, and family members later identified the body. Police have registered a case, but the circumstances and cause of death have not yet been established.
Kalimpong Superintendent of Police Aparajita Rai said a missing diary had been filed and that the body was recovered on Wednesday. She said the body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem examination and that the investigation into the cause of death was continuing.
The case has also raised questions among sections of the state administration about the time taken to locate the officer and the steps initiated after he was reported missing. Some officials have called for a comprehensive inquiry into the search process. Others have pointed to work pressure, although the report does not establish that it was a factor in Mukhopadhyay’s death.
The district administration has maintained that all possible efforts were made to find him. That claim, along with the details of the missing-person report, the search operation and the circumstances in which the body was recovered, is expected to form part of the investigation.
The incident highlights the operational vulnerability of field-level public officials, whose work often involves functioning away from state headquarters and coordinating with district institutions. It also places renewed attention on the procedures followed when an officer or public employee cannot be contacted, including the speed of reporting, search coordination and communication with family members.
Police have not publicly disclosed a final determination on how Mukhopadhyay died. The investigation and forensic findings will establish the circumstances of the death, while the administration’s response to the missing-person episode remains under scrutiny.
